5 Simple Steps to DIY a Left Right Story Game That Sells
If you’re building digital products, printables, all that good stuff and still ignoring Left-Right Story games, you’re leaving money and laughs on the table. They’re fun, high-converting, low-overhead printable treasure.
Let’s get into how you can create these strategically—not just for fun, but for real value and repeat sales.
Step-By-Step: How to Make a Left Right Story Game that Sells
Ready for the meat and potatoes?
Here’s how I build a killer left-right game template—AI, Canva, and a dose of common sense.
Step 1: Brainstorm Your Theme and Occasion and Research Market Trends
Do a little research before diving into making your left-right story game.
I mean…why would you put all that work into making a product UNLESS you know that people are buying it, right?
Basic rule of thumb?
If people search it (autosuggest tells us if they are), it typically sells.
Hop on Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers, type “left right game,” and see what pops in auto-suggest.
Before you open Canva or wake up ChatGPT, figure out the moment you’re targeting.
Graduation? Easter? Mom’s Retirement? Go seasonal, go wild, or mix both.
Trends matter. I checked Etsy and saw that themes like Bible stories, holidays, 30th birthdays, and family events were best sellers. Kind of like how chocolate never goes out of style.
Here’s some themes that I found doing well in the spring:
- Graduation parties (Nerds passing diplomas left, right, and center)
- Easter and spring get-togethers
- Cookouts and family reunions (Passive-aggressive inside jokes, anyone?)
- Big birthdays (the messier, the better)
- Faith-based/holiday events (Bible based left-right story games can sell really, really well)
Always snoop on best sellers for design inspo or story angles.
Want to design printables that make people do a double take?
The Agamograph Lab is a totally FREE mini course that teaches you how to make optical illusion printables — even if you’re “not artsy.” You’ll get editable templates, walkthrough videos, and a custom GPT prompt generator to help you design faster.
Step 2: Use AI to Generate the Story
If you’ve got time to type out hundreds of “left” and “right” moments, fine.
If you don’t—join the rest of us (or at least me, lol) and use AI.
Open ChatGPT (or a custom prompt system), copy and paste the sample prompt in the green call out box below, and watch the words pour out.
In my Printables that Pop membership, I create all kinds of customGPTs (super AI prompt bots) and templates to help you create printables and games, but the one below will get you going with the left right story game.
Make sure to:
- Specify your occasion (“write a story for a high school graduation”)
- Include any must-have names or jokes
- Request longer chains of “left” or “right” if you want chaos (trust me, more passes in a row gets the crowd rowdy AND happy)
Sample AI prompt (tweak it as needed): Act like a professional party game writer. Ask the user for the occasion, topic, or theme for a “Left Right” story game. Once provided, write a humorous, family-friendly story that includes constant cues for “left” and “right” to guide gift passing. The story should be 200–300 words long, with lively pacing, entertaining plot twists, and suitable for printing and reading aloud at a party. Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step.
Why Tweaking Prompts Is Normal (And Helpful!)
AI doesn’t always get it perfect on round one, especially with creative tasks.
Sometimes I get a story that’s too long, too dull, or skips the “lefts” and “rights.” That’s part of the reason why
Don’t settle.
- Reword your prompt if you miss details, or ask the AI to make it sillier or more personal.
- Try using follow-up prompts: “Rewrite this but include more left/right passes after every joke,” or “add something weirder and more memorable for the occasion”
- Save the best lines from each draft and piece them together if needed. That’s what I end up doing sometimes.
ALWAYS treat AI like a creative assistant—one that gets better with clear directions and a few friendly nudges.
That’s the only way you get a good quality final result.
AI is smart, but YOU’RE the creative genius that needs to drive it towards making content that people want to buy.
In my experience, AI may not nail it on the first try. If the story misses the mark, just adjust your prompt. Tell the AI to make it more fun, shorter, or add inside jokes. Each tweak leads to a better result, so experiment until it fits.
Step 3: Build the Template in Canva (or PowerPoint, If You Must)
Open up Canva (or your software of choice), start a fresh 8.5” x 11” doc, and do this:
- Pick a big, clear font (free fonts keep it simple for all users)
- Decide if you’ll color-code “left” (let’s say blue) and “right” (maybe purple), or just bold those words. Trust me, people want to SEE when to pass
- Toss in some relevant clip art—caps for graduation, hearts for Valentine’s, eggs for Easter (you know the drill)
- Drop a cute border around your story to make it look polished (seasonal borders are gold)
Quick Design Checklist
If you’re viewing this on a mobile device, put your finger on the table below and swipe to the left (or right) to see the full table.
| ✔️ Must-Have Design Element | ✅ Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Big, easy-to-read font (14pt+) | So Grandma AND your 8-year-old niece can read it |
| “Left” and “Right” stand out | Helps the crowd follow the game without confusion |
| Room for clip art + cute border | Visuals make the game feel polished & event-ready |
| Single-page or two-per-sheet layout | Saves ink, time, and everyone’s sanity |
| Black-and-white version | Some folks only have enough ink for one story, max |
I shuffle between Canva and Powerpoint and each one has its own pros and cons. Bottom line: Use what doesn’t make you pull your hair out. Both get the job done.
Step 4: Jazz Up the Value—Bundle, Offer Choices, Save Their Ink
Nobody wants to print 37 full-color pages just to play a party game.
Okay, maybe someone does. Probably someone with an industrial printer and a paper tray named “Jeff.”
But most of us? We’re trying to keep our color ink from screaming for mercy halfway through page two.
And listen, if you really don’t want to make a black-and-white version? That’s okay.
Just make sure your color version won’t drain your buyer’s printer dry. Nobody wants to hit “print” and hear their printer wheeze.
Want to know what real buyers actually care about?
Go browse the best-sellers in your niche. Look at what they’re offering — multiple formats? Ink-friendly options? Bundles? Take notes.
Then, use that as your guide.
Not to copy — but to format smart and add your own sparkle.
Lucky for you, I did a little research for the left right story game printable for you. Here’s what people actually want (and some I’m just suggesting as a way to add more value to your stuff) :
- A full-color version for classroom flair, big events, or holiday celebrations
- A black-and-white, ink-friendly version for us frugal folks
- A single-story setup for quick printing
- A “two stories per page” format that saves both ink and space
- Oh—and bundles. Give me 10, 25, or 40 themed stories in one go, and I’m swooning
If you’re viewing this on a mobile device, put your finger on the table below and swipe to the left (or right) to see the full table.
| ✨ Add-On Option | 🙋♀️ Who Loves It | 🤓 Why It Sells |
|---|---|---|
| Full-color version | Teachers, event planners, party hosts | Looks polished and festive |
| Black-and-white version | Budget-conscious parents, homeschoolers | Saves $$$ and feels printer-friendly |
| Single-story format | People in a hurry | Quick to print and explain |
| Two-stories-per-page layout | Frugal families, bundle lovers | Uses less ink, feels like a deal |
| Bundle of 10, 25, 40 stories | Repeat buyers, teachers, big families | They want it all at once — and will pay for it |
“Would a tired parent at 10pm thank me for giving them fewer pages to print?” And honestly — sometimes the answer is no. If you’re selling a printable escape room? Yeah, people expect multiple pages. But for story games? Go lean, go smart, go bundle.
Step 5: Format, Test, and Print
We’ve all been there. You finally finish designing your story printable, you hit print, and… it looks like a receipt from 2003.
Tiny font, weird spacing, half the words cut off. Yeah. Been there. Cried a little.
Before you send your masterpiece out into the world, make sure it’s actually usable.
Here’s what I check every single time:
- Font size (no smaller than 14pt—seriously, our eyeballs deserve kindness)
- Line spacing (I like a little breathing room between lines, especially when kids are reading)
- Bold text for the “left” and “right” prompts so they pop
- Margins that don’t cut off sentences mid-word (been there, cringed at that)
Then? Test print it. On a real printer.
Mine has an attitude and only listens to me half the time, so if it behaves for me, I know it’ll work for most folks.
I also hand the file to my husband. If he can print it without asking me 12 questions? It’s ready.
It’s the little things that’ll earn you five-star reviews.
Do a full run-through of your printable from a buyer’s POV. Print it, read it, follow it start to finish. If anything feels unclear, overly tiny, or clunky to use… fix it before your inbox fills with panicked messages at 7am on a Monday.
The Bottom Line: How to Make a Left Right Story Game People Remember
The formula? Quick AI storytelling + clean Canva design + your weird, lovable voice.
Study what’s selling. Steal the structure, not the soul.
Add audience jokes, seasonal spins, printable options—then punch it up with your own flavor.
Weird is sticky. Memorable. Profitable.
If it sounds like anyone could’ve made it, rewrite it.
Want help scaling your games? I teach it all inside Printables That Pop membership.